Last resting place of Lewis's famous griffins

Lynda Bradbury, from the Yorkswood Residents' Association, which is planning to restore griffin statues after receiving a £10,000 grant

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They once perched proudly on the roof of a flagship Birmingham store but these stone griffins now stand guard in a Shard End housing estate.

The huge sculptures sat atop the old Lewis's department store, in Corporation Street, overlooking the city centre.

Dating back to the 1885, it was rumoured that the six mythical griffins were a gift to the city from the Tsar of Russia.

After the original store was demolished in the 1920s, the creatures were moved to the estate where they flanked the entrance to the old Yorks Wood Scout Camp.

The scout camp closed in 1972 and the housing estate later built. But the griffins remained and to this day continue to fascinate pedestrians in Horne Way and Kendrick Avenue.

Late last year, the Yorkswood Residents' Association secured £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the statues, which all have differing characteristics.

Lynda Bradbury, from the association, said: "They are very mysterious. People always stop and look at them. Some older people remember them from the original Lewis's building and a lot of men aged 50 to 60, remember them from when they were scouts.

"When they were brought down from the shop, they were so heavy, they cut them into three sections, I should imagine that was to move them. It's hearsay they were a gift from the Tsar of Russia. People have always said this.

"I always thought they were in Victoria Square before they were on the roof of Lewis's but I'm not 100 per cent sure.

"I don't know if there are many more in Birmingham, but I'm hoping that someone might come forward with information. We would like to hear more stories and history about them."

Griffin statue in Kendrick Avenue, Shard End, which used to stand atop of the Lewis's building in Corporation Street